ESSEX professionals have seen their pay rise to an average of £34,299, according to a survey.

The figure remains £2,000 lower than the East of England average of £36,400.

There has been a dramatic drop of 35 per cent in the number of people who say they are willing to move location to find a new job.

The research, from Cooper Lomaz Recruitment, also reveals that the gender pay gap in the eastern counties appears to have widened from £8,000 to £10,000.

The average salary for man is now £41,000, while for a woman it is £31,000.

Cooper Lomaz operations director Mark Fletcher said: “The clear message from our Essex respondents is that people are looking for a better work-life balance.

“They don’t want the cost and hassle of a daily commute to London.

“The research also shows more work needs to be done to achieve pay equality.

“As well as this, it suggests that there needs to be more encouragement and support for women to pursue careers in technical areas like information technology and engineering.”

A total of 18,000 people were surveyed.